The contractor moved back on this work on March 8, 1906, and had a force sufficient to easily finish it by September 15 had weather conditions permitted him to work. On September 22 the work was temporarily abandoned because the pits were filled with rain water, and the contractor moved on Government work under this office in the lower St. Francis district of Arkansas. The local Board enlarged from 35/0 to 43/0, inclusive, from 50/0 to 57/0, inclusive, miles 60 and 73; 76/0 to 79/0, inclusive, mile 84; and on the Hushpuckana system sections 109 and 110, and sections 119, 120, and 121. Total cubic yards put up.. Cost of same__. 693, 972 $157, 738. 43 The total expenditures of the Board for the year ending April 30, 1907, were $413,467.34. Caving bank. From Sunflower Landing (352 L.) to below Malones Landing (356 L.) the bank is caving rapidly. It is the intention of the levee board to build a loop from just above Malones to a point about 3 miles farther north. The work is to he let this season. Nothing was lost by caving banks, and no levee was abandoned during the year. Map No. 14 shows the profile of the present levee in this district, with the elevations of several important high waters marked thereon and a key map to the levee referred to in the profile. White River levee district (306-385 R.).—(For references to previous history see Report of Chief of Engineers, 1905, Supplement, p. 159. See map No. 15 herewith.) At the beginning of last season the following contract, to be paid for out of balance of $70,000 allotment for 1904-5, was in force: The following are annulled contracts to be paid for out of balance of $200,000 allotted for 1905-6: The Talley-Bates Construction Company, which had the work set forth in the above table under contract, failed to put a force on this work during 1906, and for this reason their contracts have been annulled. A force of about 100 teams was put on this work by this office, and would have nearly completed ENG 1907-169 these uncompleted sections had not the weather conditions and high water interfered very materially. The work covered by these annulled contracts will be relet during the coming season. On August 9 the following contract was made, work to be completed January 1, 1908, the contract to be paid for out of allotment of $50,000 for 1906-7: There were 4 acres of light grubbing, at $200 per acre. Roach & Stansell were the successful bidders. At the present time there are two outfits at work on this contract, which will probably complete it within contract time. The Cotton Belt levee district has contracted for the following work, but, although the outfits are on the ground, nothing has been done, owing to high water and the continued rains. No levee was abandoned during the year. Map No. 15 shows the profile of the present levee, with the elevations of several high waters marked thereon and a key map to the levee referred to in the profile. The following tables show the amounts expended by the United States in the various levee districts for the year ending April 30, 1907: The river has maintained a uniformly high stage throughout the entire year. In October there was a considerable rise which affected the channel work and levee work but which did not endanger the levees. Another such rise occurred in November and in December, and the river in January was above the normal stage for that time of year. During the month of January unusually heavy and continuous rains occurred over the Ohio and Cumberland river watersheds, causing the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee rivers to rise rapidly and reach flood stages. The continued rising of these streams made it clear that a flood of considerable magnitude could be expected in the Mississippi River, and preparations were made for the usual high-water protection. The local boards in the upper St. Francis and Reelfoot districts were required to undertake the protection of the levee in their districts. The only assistance rendered them by the Government was to furnish the Reelfoot district 3,000 sacks, costing 4 cents each, and the services of a junior engineer. In the lower St. Francis district of Missouri, the local board undertook all protection work from the upper end of the district to the Missouri-Arkansas State line at mile 47/0, but subsequent events showed that no protection work was required. The lower St. Francis levee board of Arkansas undertook the protection work from the Choctaw railroad crossing, mile 151/0, to the lower end of the district, leaving the Federal Government to protect the levee from the Missouri-Arkansas State line, mile 47/0, to the Choctaw crossing. This Government work was divided into two sections. The upper section from mile 47/0 to mile 139/0 was put in charge of Junior Engineer W. C. Trigg and the lower section, from mile 139/0 to 151/0, in charge of Inspector W. H. Gowen. On January 23 the U. S. S. Graham, loaded with supplies and carrying the various inspectors, etc., for the upper section, left Memphis, and went up as far as Caruthersville, Mo., landing these employees at their various posts, with instructions to ride over their sections (about 30 miles each) at least once daily. No trouble was experienced in the upper section and very little work was required. Some topping with teams was done on miles 116 and 119, and some sacking on the back slope on mile 139 where the levee was badly cut up by travel and showed signs of sloughing. The steamer Graham returned to Memphis February 5 and laid up at the fleet. Within the limits of the lower section at miles 140, 141, 146, and 148 were the only sections of levee in this district that were dangerously threatened during the high water which culminated early in February. The forces working on the levee at these points, although sufficient to have finished the enlargement of these low sections had fairly good weather continued through November, December, and January, were utterly unable to do any work during these months on acount of rain and high water, and therefore the approach of a high water, which promised to be one of the largest on record at these points, made the most strenuous exertions necessary in order to save the levee from a break at one of these four points. Mr. W. H. Gowen, United States inspector, was in charge of the lower section. The four sections were topped with bags of earth and loose earth was thrown up on top of the bags. The dredge Wolf was used for this last purpose on the three upper sections and did the work very rapidly and economically. The section in mile 140 was 1,700 feet in length, in mile 141 was 1,000 feet in length, and in mile 146, 2,500 feet in length. The section in mile 141 finally developed into the most dangerous of all four, and it was seen that if a break occurred it would take place at this point. A bulkhead of timber was constructed along the back edge of the crown and sacks and earth were piled on the river side of this bulkhead. The continued rains during the rise in water made the work very difficult, and had not the weather turned cold on February 3 a break would probably have occurred in spite of all our efforts. Forty-one thousand five hundred sacks were used in this district. The total cost of the high-water operations in this district was $10,054.22. White River levee district.-As soon as it became apparent that a very high stage of water could be expected early in February, the operations in the White River district were put in charge of United States Assistant Engineer M. Gardner. On January 26, with a full supply of materials, the steamer Titan was sent to the White River district. The district was subdivided amongst the junior employees in sections varying according to the work that would probably have to be done in each section. The Cotton Belt levee district undertook the protection of the levee from Helena to Westover (319 R.). It was at once seen that the most dangerous points were in the vicinity of Fair, Ark., along the unfinished portions of the levee, then under contract for enlargement with the Talley-Bates Construction Company, and in the vicinity of Avenue, Ark., at a point where W. F. Barbour & Son had failed to complete the work they had under contract. Wherever possible the levee was topped with scrapers and a large force of men was immediately put at work topping out the remaining sections with sacks and loose earth. A bulkhead of timber was built along the crown to support and protect the narrow topping. At one time a force of about 500 men were engaged in this work. The flood culminated at Helena on February 6. There were no sand boils behind the levee and all the attention was confined to raising the top of the levee so that the water would not overtop it, and to the protection of the back slope at points where sloughing threatened to occur. The Cotton Belt levee board rendered efficient aid in this high-water fight. The total expenses of the high-water operations in this district were $17.800.51. Extra exertions were made to prevent a break in the levee in this district for the reason if a break occurred at any of the threatened sections in order to close the levee again a long and expensive loop would have to be built, since the land immediately behind the present levee is so cut up with bayous and lakes that no short loop would have been feasible. Only the ability and untiring energy of United States Assistant Engineer M. Gardner saved this levee from a crevasse. Upper Yazoo levee district. The protection of the levees in this district was left entirely to the local board, they being well equipped, financially and otherwise, to take care of this work. Preparations were made for any emergency, but the levees in this district are in such excellent condition that no trouble occurred. About the middle of March it became evident that the river would again reach a flood stage, and inspectors were sent out in the lower St. Francis and White river districts to look after the safety of the levees. In the lower St. Francis district nothing was required of them but a daily patrol of their respective stations. The river reached a stage of only 35.6 feet on the Memphis gauge, which the levees are amply able to withstand. In the White River district a small brush and sack dike was put in on mile 43, where a great deal of trouble had been experienced during the previous high water by the strong current at that point cutting into the levee. Two rows of piling about 6 feet apart were driven in and well braced, then alternate layers of brush and sacked earth, each layer about 2 feet thick, were put in until the top of the dike was raised well above the stage of water expected. This arrangement not only deflected the current, but prevented an eddy below the dike, as the layers of brush allowed a good deal of water to go through. The inspectors were called in on April 9, the river having fallen to 28.5 feet on the Memphis gauge. High-water expenses March-April, 1907. Lower St. Francis levee district_. $256.55 623. 70 SURVEYS. The usual low-water surveys of revetted banks, caving banks, etc., were made during the year. Several levee surveys were found necessary in order to complete the office records and to give information required for current work. The survey party was organized August 7, 1906, to make the various annual surveys as follows: Slough Landing Neck (60 L.).-This survey, on account of bad weather conditions, took nine days and shows a decreased rate of caving on the upper side of the neck, while on the lower side the rate seems to have diminished. It is still active and the zeros of the corresponding bar lines have extended into the river in proportion to the caving opposite. The composition of the banks evidently has something to do with this difference, being clay on the upper side, while the lower side is mostly sand. A map accompanies this report. New Madrid, Mo. (70 R.).—The annual survey over the revetment was made in four days. As the cross sections, which were plotted, show no change from previous years, no map is submitted. Caruthersville, Mo. (110 R.).—The annual survey over the revetment was made in five days. The cross sections show practically no change from previous years. The map showing caving bank below the revetment accompanies this report. Chute of Island 26 (150 L.).—This survey was made in five days and consists of shore lines and soundings over established ranges. The map submitted herewith shows an enlargement of all the cross sections and an increase in depth on all but three. It also shows continued caving on the river side of Island 26. Daniels Point, Ark. (152 R.).-The annual survey over the revetment was made in five days. The sections show a small amount of caving of the top bank only from R. 22 to R. 32; the remainder shows practically no change. No map of this work is submitted. Ashport Bend, Tenn. (154-157 L.).—A survey over the revetment was made in four days. The cross sections were plotted and show the usual scour beyond the mats on the lower 2,500 feet, where the revetment is most exposed to the action of the current. On the balance there is no change except at the head of the work, where the bar is slowly extending downstream. Fletchers Bend, Ark. (158–161 R.).—A survey at this point was made in six days. Map of the survey is submitted herewith, and cross sections which were plotted and on file show practically no change on most of the ranges. The bar at the upper end is filling and making downstream. The channel sections do not indicate that an unusually large amount of water is going through Elmot Chute. Osceola bar, Ark. (165 R.).—A survey was made in three days, and map submitted herewith shows the caving that has taken place at the head of the work. There has been no change on the remainder except at the lower end, where a scour has taken place on the head of the bar. Bullerton bar, Ark. (168 R.).-A survey over the lower end of this revetment was made in four days and shows no change from previous years, except that the bar in front of the upper end is making downstream. Hopefield Bend, Ark. (227-230 R.).—A survey over the revetment was made in eight days, showing but slight changes in the revetment. Map accompanies this report. Memphis bar and revetment (229-232 L.).-A survey of the bar and revetment down to Beale street was made in five days, showing a fill of about onehalf foot on top of the bar and a tendency to maintain the bluff bar, as shown in |